Yahoo! Search Trends: State Fairs Still a Summer Staple, According To Online Searches

An enduring summer ritual, Americans have been attending state and county fairs since 1841 and still turn out in droves for livestock judging, butter sculpting, cheese curds and fun family entertainment. Did you know that women search on Yahoo! for “state fairs” more than men and that Wisconsin, Missouri and New Jersey search the most for “state fairs”?

According to Yahoo!, the Top 10 Searched State Fairs are:
1. Texas State Fair
2. New York State Fair
3. Minnesota State Fair (searches are up 88% this week)
4. Wisconsin State Fair (searches are up 17% this week and this state searches for “state fairs” more than any other state this month on Yahoo!)
5. Indiana State Fair
6. Ohio State Fair (searches are up 215% this week)
7. Iowa State Fair (searches are up 66% this week)
8. Illinois State Fair (searches are up 19% this week)
9. California State Fair
10. Oregon State Fair

Today, state fairs have evolved from food and livestock competitions to events the whole family can enjoy with performances this season from nostalgic rock bands like Journey, Def Leopard and Pat Benetar to country favorites Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson. According to Yahoo!, searches this month are spiking for Sugarland, Train and Lady Antebellum, proving they are the hot acts to see this year and are some of the busiest bands on the 2011 state fair circuit.

Carnival staple: A trip to the fair would not be complete without a ride on the Ferris wheel or the Tilt-a-whirl, but this year searches are spiking for alternative carnival rides like “crazy mouse” and “the scrambler.” 33% of searches for “carnival rides” on Yahoo! come from those 24-33.